Las Vegas Review-Journal - The Political Eye

Las Vegas Assemblyman Chad Christensen, who is running for the U.S. Senate, is calling for a special Nevada legislative session to consider passing an immigration law like Arizona's that would allow police to stop people they suspect of being illegal immigrants.

Christensen's plea will likely fall on deaf ears. Gov. Jim Gibbons already has said he doesn't see the need for such a law in Nevada since it's not a border state like Arizona, which is struggling to handle the influx of illegal immigrants, including some criminal elements that led to passage of the law.

Both Gibbons, who is up for re-election, and Christensen – and all the other Republicans running in the U.S. Senate and governor's races – have expressed support for Arizona taking action, however, saying the federal government has failed to do its job and secure the nation's borders.

Critics of the law, including Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, have said the law is akin to racial profiling and may be unconstitutional.

Christensen's call for an Arizona-like law comes nearly a month before the June 8 primary and as the Las Vegas assemblyman runs far behind leaders of the GOP pack of a dozen candidates seeking to oppose Reid in the fall general election.

Christensen got support from Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, the sponsor of the Arizona bill, as he called Monday for similar legislation in Nevada.

"Like many Americans, I have had enough of the passive stance of our federal government," Christensen said in a press release. "We have a responsibility to ourselves and our country to empower our law enforcement agencies to uphold the law and hold those breaking the law accountable."